Page 127 - November 2015

Hoosier Park Classic
PISTOLPACKING PEPSI
by Michael Cusortelli
Pistolpacking Pepsi, a 4-year-old gelding racing for Robert A. Ray & trainer Ronald Brown, was a prompt 11-10 favorite in the $86,500 Hoosier Park
Classic at Indiana Grand Racecourse on Oct. 10. Ridden by Jose Beltran, Pistolpacking Pepsi cov- ered 400-yards in :19.818, and his margin of victory was 1 1/2-lengths from stablemate Tinys First Pepsi.
The $47,576 winner’s share of the purse from his sixth career stakes win pushed his earnings to $408,455.
“I’m excited about both horses racing so well,” said Brown. “The key to ‘Pistol’ is to keep him happy and fresh. We don’t turn him out at all during the sea- son because we’re afraid he might hurt himself. But he gets turned out all winter, so he gets a break then.”
Raced exclusively at Indiana Grand, Pistolpacking Pepsi has won 12 of 23 outs, and his resume includes a 1/2-length win in the 350-yard Bob Woodward Memorial Classic on Aug. 29.
Pistolpacking Pepsi was bred by Diana J. Keiser of Richmond, Indiana. The gelding is one of 2 start- ers foaled by Wave Of Pepsi. His 2nd dam, Chics Pepsi, was a finalist in two futurities in Indiana and Michigan in 2000 and is the dam of Hoosier Park Classic 2nd place finisher Tinys First Pepsi.
Tinys First Pepsi (Tinys First Corona-Chics Pepsi) was ridden by Cesar Esqueda. The 5-year-old gelding won the 2013 Sterlie Bertram Memorial Stakes.
Beach Runner (Escondido Beach-Flashin Dee Dee) was 3rd. Rolando Pina rode the 4-year-old geld- ing for owner Janette Barraza & trainer Felix Barraza. Followed by Firebawl (Jess Zoomin-Jess A Lil Bit), Love To Beatcha (First Prize Perry-Crush On Fish), Bright Eyed Vision (Ausual Suspect-Hope For Me), DNA Sweet Dale (Sweet First Down-Chrystal Dale), Zoom N 324 (Zoomin For Bux-Miss Silk N Such), Chilled Six Pack (Chilled Corona-Six Packin Robin), & WH Design By Dash (Brimmstone-Fast Mans Dash).
Indiana Championship
MO ZOOMO
by Michael Compton
The hard-knocking Indiana-bred Pistolpacking Pepsi rightfully paraded to the post as the odds-on favorite to win the Indiana Championship on Oct. 24. But Mo Zoomo had other designs on the evening, upsetting the 12-time winner in the 400-yard fixture.
Ridden by Jose Ruiz, Mo Zoomo broke clean, grabbed the lead early and dueled with Pistolpacking Pepsi the length of the lane. In the end, Mo Zoomo proved best with a 1/2-length score. In notching the first stakes victory of his career, Mo Zoomo stopped the timer in a lively :19.751 over the muddy track, earning a speed index of 101 for owner-trainer Sacramento Chavez.
“When I saw he got a clean start and was on
the lead in the middle of the track, I had no doubt about him winning,” said Chavez. “If you give him a chance to run, he can run. He has been very unfor- tunate. He could have easily been a million-dollar earner, he’s just had bad luck in the past.”
The win improved Mo Zoomo’s tab by $45,799 and lifts his bankroll to $127,729. In addition to this stakes win, Mo Zoomo is also twice stakes-placed.
Bred in Oklahoma by Vaughn and Jill Cook, Mo Zoomo is produced from the winless mare Stylish Form. While Mo Zoomo is her initial stakes winner, Stylish Form is also the dam of stakes-placed Hooked On Run.
Pistolpacking Pepsi (Jesse James-Wave Of Pepsi) was always prominent and was clearly 2nd best. Jose Beltran was aboard for owner-trainer Ronald Brown and co-owner Robert Ray. Raise the Bar Performance Horses LLC’s Jettastic (Jet Black Patriot-Man Sheza Fast) went evenly, finishing 3rd under Cesar Esqueda for trainer Anthony Cunningham.
Brimmerton James (Ivory James-Brimmertons Chick), Dashing Manner (Title Contender-Dot Dot And Dash), Finche (Tres Seis-Doctor Prospector) and WH Design By Dash (Brimmstone-Fast Mans Dash) completed the order of finish. Firebrawl and HF Mighty Chick were scratched.
Billy Montgomery Stakes
TF EYES R STRUTTIN
by Danny Camp
It was a dreary day at Evangeline Downs for the 330-yard Billy Montgomery Stakes on Oct. 24. The track man maintained the sloppy track well and
TF Eyes R Struttin earned a victory and a 103 speed index by stopping the timer at :16.527 and winning the $18,000 share of the $30,000 purse.
When she broke from the outside 8-post, she began to drift in and that’s when Raul Ramirez Jr. went to work. He immediately switched his stick to the left hand and that made all the difference. That kind of encouragement made them finish 1/2-length in front.
Since Ramirez has taken over the riding assign- ment, TF Eyes R Struttin has won five out of six races. She now has a race record of nine wins out of 22 starts and a total bankroll of $178,335 for her team, which includes owner Louis Johnson Jr. and trainer Lanny Keith. The filly also won this year’s Mother’s Day Stakes and Audubon Stakes and set
a 300-yard New Track Record at Louisiana Downs. She was bred in Louisiana by Steve Tate, out of the mare Eyes R Special, who has produced four starters. TF Eyes R Struttin is her only multiple first place stakes winner and is her top money earner.
Next to the winner and a 1/2-length back, was Embrujo Star (Embrujo FG-Allas Toast) who ran
a steady and even race. Her connections include owner Hubert Vestal and trainer Trey Ellis. Alfonso Lujan was handling the reins. RBD Jessaswingin (Swingin Jess-Furby) was unsettled in the gates and she never really focused. She left in third place and she finished in third place under Martin Rubalcava. Her team includes owner Jamie Gutierrez and trainer Guadalupe Garza. Osceola Patriot (Jet Black Patriot-Sheza Faster Babe), Scooter Prize (First Prize Perry-Royal Baby Scooter), Forever Steph (Jet Black Patriot-JLS Diamonds Forever), The Game Cartel (Game Patriot-Angels Cartel), & Camerons Game (Game Patriot-Shes Lils FG) completed the field.
Indiana Grand Racecourse • $86,500 400 yards • :19.818 • si 99
Mr Jess Perry
Loose Lips
PISTOLPACKING PEPSI, ’11-g.
Bill Cole
Jesse James Jr
Wave Of Pepsi
Chics Pepsi
Indiana Grand Racecourse • $82,520 400 yards • :19.751 • si 101
Shazoom MO ZOOMO, ‘09-g.
Stylish Form
Takin On the Cash Keep On Shining The Signature Especially For You
Evangeline Downs • $30,000 330 yards • :16.527 • si 103
Chicks Beduino
Struttin To Beduino
TF EYES R STRUTTIN, ’11-f. Eyes R Special
Sugar Foot Strut Mr Eye Opener
Hempen Lil
SPEEDHORSE, November 2015 125
RACING NEWS
Linscott Photgraphy
Linscott Photography
Coady Photography